Spirits and Demons
by Kyla Claire
Summary: It's Erika's first year in True Cross Academy, and she's already bored after two days. What can keep her interested in this school rather than move back to Tokyo? Yukio x OC.
1. Yellow Umbrella

"I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed. It was girl in a floral print dress and her dark black hair was in perfect curls. Her stormy gray eyes were filled with concern. "Something… I mean someone pushed me."

Even though his glasses were on the ground, Yukio could tell how no one was around. Everyone else was in class and he just finished his class in the Cram School.

The girl picked up his glasses and placed them back on his face. "I broke them," she muttered.

There was a crack at the edge of the lens. He had plenty of spares back in his dorm, and the crack wasn't that big despite the fall. Yukio got a good look at the girl, who was staring off into the distance.

"It's fine," he replied. "I have a spare back in my dorm."

"Is it far?" she asked. It was an odd question to ask someone you just bumped into.

"It's quite a ways but I'll be fine," he answered. He did have the keys after all, he could use those.

"It's going to start raining soon," the girl added. "And it looks like you're not prepared for the weather…"

Yukio looks at the sky with white puffy clouds, nothing dark or threatening. "I'll be fine," he said. "No worries."

He began to walk down the large steps when he heard a rush of footsteps. She was opening an umbrella, and by the time she caught up to him, the yellow shade was over his head. The light tap-tap-tap of the rain drops slowly fell against the yellow canopy. The rate of it falling was becoming rapid.

"How did you know?"

She paused for a moment, hesitating to answer. "I don't know if you'll believe me… It's not a crazy story but not a lot of people believe me when I talk about it."

"I've seen everything," Yukio said.

"Spirits," she answered. "The one who pushed me was a Rain Spirit… She's an old friend I guess, but when she's around, it rains. She promised to visit me a few days ago, so I know it was going to rain today."

"Have you been seeing them since you were a kid?" he asked.

"Yes," she nods. "My mother was a Shinto priestess and raised me in the temple. But when she passed, I grew up with my aunt and uncle, raising me like the little heiress of the company. Anyway, I never really let go of the things my mom taught me about spirits."

"I never got your name," he added. "I'm Yukio Okumura."

"Erika Takahashi," she answered. "Okumura-kun, do you believe me? About my story that is…"

"I see them too," he replied. She just smiled, not asking why or how. "And, just Yukio, please."

Although it was silent for the next few minutes of the walk, it was nice. The soft pitter patter of the rain dropped on the umbrella softly and it was kind of relaxing.

"May I ask why you're not in class?" Yukio began.

"I'm hiding from a certain purple haired freak," she grumbled. She was referring to the Academy's director, Mephisto Pheles. "Why aren't you in class?"

"I have special honors class that lets out early," he lied.

"Sure," she said with a stifled laugh. "Don't worry, I'm not going to tell anyone you're skipping either."

"I'm not the kind of person," he argued.

She just smiled even more. It was warm and bright; sincere and kind. Her curls bounced as each step is taken and her smile didn't waver.

"My dorm is over there," he said, pointing across the bridge. "I can run…"

"Don't be silly," Erika began. "I broke your glasses, at least let me protect you from the rain."

Yukio didn't want to argue with her. She looked like the kind of girl that would continue to fight for whatever she wants or what she believes in.

They reached the covered steps of the old building. "It looks like no one lives in here… It's a little old for such a prestigious school," she said, examining the old architecture.

"Thank you, Erika," he said. He ignored her previous comments, not wanting to get into the facts that it was just him and his brother Rin in the large building.

"I'll see you around, Okumura," she said and turned the other way. Her bright yellow umbrella was easy to spot.

When he got to the building, he couldn't help but watch the yellow umbrella move through the paved streets. It was easy to spot since there weren't so many colors that were as bright as that umbrella.


	2. An Exorcist

The rain was rapidly falling to the ground, and the soppy weather was getting to Erika. She hurried to her dorm before the bell rings for lunch. By the time she gets to her room, her feet were wet from the rain and she was dragging in puddles as she entered the room.

She changed from her dress to a blue sweatshirt and comfortable leggings. Erika began to read the textbooks for the semester, although she already finished six of them before the first week of school started.

The door opens and closes, her roommate was back soaked with rain water. "Hey," Izumo greets.

"Hey," Erika replied. "Didn't I tell you it was going to rain?"

"Either way, I don't own an umbrella," she retorts in a cold tone. "How are your classes going so far?"

"Boring," she answered. "How about yours?"

"Good, I have extra classes though," she explained. "I'm going to get cleaned up and head to my afternoon schedule."

"Use my umbrella," Erika suggested.

"Thanks," Izumo said. She took some spare clothes with her towel and left to go to the showers down the hall.

As soon as the door closes, her phone began to ring. It was an unknown number but she answered it; Erika was never afraid to answer unknown numbers because they could be important, and she would never know if she didn't answer.

"Hello," she greeted.

There was a long pause before the voice answers. "There'll be a package at the front door," the voice explained.

"Who is this?" she asked.

It stayed silent once more. "It doesn't matter," the man began. "Don't put your trust in the Director of True Cross."

"Sure, but I need to know who you are," she argued. Erika couldn't recognize the voice and had no idea who could be giving her all of this information.

The caller hung up without another noise. She doesn't like to invade people's privacy, but the pentagram on the cover was pretty interesting. The title was Demonology. _Cram school, _she thought. During registration, Mephisto offered the school to her but she declined. Spirits and demons never harmed or bothered her much. If anything, they were a lot nicer to her than humans.  


She flipped through the chapters, looking for something she thought would be interesting. She ended up in the eight demon kings chapter: Satan, Amaimon, Lucifer, and so on. She comes across an image with no label on it. It could have been any of the eight but it was just entrancing. Outgrown white hair and rare red eyes, like rubies. A soft smile was placed across his face.

"What are you doing?" Izumo asked.

Erika jolted, not expecting her to be back so soon. "Oh, I just looked at the title and found it interesting," she went on. "What class is this for?"

"History," she answered with a change of tone. "You can read more into it if you want, but I'm going to need it for my afternoon classes.

She hands back the books and grabs another from her own stack. It was titled The Odd Story of the Porcelain Knight. Her roommate changed into a dry uniform and tied her hair back. "You're not going to your afternoon classes?" she asked.

"Nope," she answered, not wanting to lie about it. Izumo takes the umbrella and heads out the door without another word.

Erika was sure that everyone in the dorm has gone to class and she was all by herself. She opened one of the windows and took out her ipod, placing it on the dock. _Panic! At the Disco_ loudly played through the speakers. She was into a lot of English music. Like she expected, several spirits walked in, well floated in. They were always visiting her, as if she was their queen.

"Erika-chan," the ghost of a young boy began. His attired indicated he was probably from England, dressed in a Victorian outfit. "I saw you with a boy today."

"Yes, a very nice boy," the rain spirit added.

"You're the one who pushed me to him!" she argued. "Besides he's an exorcists..."

A scowl appeared on the rain spirit's face. "You better stay away from him... Your blood-"

"I know," Erika interrupted.

"What's an exorcist?" the little ghost asked.

"Someone with no mercy or justice," the Rain Spirit whispered. "Stay away from Exorcists, Marcus. You will regret dealing with them..."

Erika thought about it. Will she really regret talking to Yukio. Again, he seemed unlike most humans. Erika was becoming more and more of a demon, no matter what. Her senses were sharpening as well as her strength being far greater than before. She was attracted to Yukio, the aura and sense he gives off.

_That's stupid, _she thought. _He'll just kill you with no hesitation. Forget about him; you'll just lose your life. _


	3. Chances

Yukio walked through the empty halls of the science building. He was being sent to the nurse's office since he wasn't feeling too great. After the night of fighting with Rin, pretty much physically testing one another, he was pretty much incapable of taking notes or focusing on the biology lesson.

"I have to get back to class," a familiar voice muttered.

"You know that lesson better than anyone else, you don't have to pay attention to pass," Mephisto argued. "I just want to know about your mother's death."

He didn't mean to eaves drop but it all seemed interesting. Yukio peaked around the corner to see Erika, her fist at her side and not wanting to speak to the Director. Her eyes were filled with emotions: confliction, misery, and anger all at the same time.

"If you want to know so badly, look at the police records," she muttered. "I don't want to speak about her death."

A smile crept along his face. "It'll be so simple to just tell me," he retorted. "I know that Chemistry isn't really something you're interested in, since you already read all the books of the science department… I can let you skip your classes for the next few weeks if you tell me."

"Ask someone else, Mephisto," she gritted. "I don't want to talk about her death… I was there, and it'll just bring emotions back…"

Erika's eyes were already shiny from the tears in her eyes. They were ready to flow out of when Mephisto patted her head. It was an odd gesture, especially from someone like the director. Mephisto sighs. "Remember Erika, there's people after you. I thought it'd be a nice compensation: information for protection. But I suppose not."

"You're in charge of the exorcists in campus," she began. "You can kill me if you wanted to. You need my information but I don't need your protection…"

"Are you sure about that?" he asked with a sly smile. Mephisto was interested. Humans have always had interested him. But this girl was a hybrid.

"Yes, I'm one hundred percent sure," Erika said. "I'm just another little play thing for you… Whatever you're planning, I'm not taking part of it… Besides, what does my mother have to do with anything?"

The director opened his mouth but then realized that someone was watching. He pressed his lips together again, his expression drastically changing from playful into a serious one. "Looks like we have a little birdy listening," he muttered.

Yukio felt a shock go up his spine, _he saw me._ He hurried down to the staircase, trying to keep his mind off of what he just heard. His mind was still off from the punch on his cranium. It seemed like he was stumbling as he hurried to the main floor.

He was surprised that Mephisto didn't appear in the nurse's office. Yukio was given some pain killers and was allowed to sleep in the array of empty beds in the room. The white sheets looked like they were never used; it was a safe school to be in.

Yukio didn't really sleep but thought about the things Erika was saying to Mephisto earlier. _"You're in charge of the exorcists on campus; you could kill me if you wanted to."_

Yukio easily put the pieces together. She could see spirits and probably demons. Erika was a demon herself. But he sensed nothing. He's been finding out about his acute senses after the incident with Satan and the Vatican the previous year. Erika was human based on her looks and her scent: she didn't have the pointed ears or a tail. She couldn't even hide a tail if she wanted to.

Rin dropped by the nurse's office to see his brother. He was sincere with the apology about the night before and the brothers headed off to eat their lunch.

"You're lucky you got to skip your morning classes!" Rin went on. "They all dragged on forever. I bet it was nice to sleep through the morning."

"You know I'd rather learn than sleep all day," he argued. "It was boring in the nurse's office anyway."

"This school year seems boring," his brother added. "Compared to last year."

Yukio was silent for a moment, thinking about the previous time they spent in True Cross. It was an intense time for them but they managed to survive what seemed like the apocalypse.

"You see that girl," Rin whispered. He was trying casually not to look but his hand motioned to their left. Rin was pointing at Erika.

She changed outfits since the last time Yukio saw her. She changed from her school uniform to a white sundress. She was walking towards the cafeteria: the one that served food that were far too expensive for some students to afford.

"Erika?" Yukio asked.

"How do you know her?" he added. "Anyway, Shima has a bet going on with Bon about asking her out at lunch today."

Yukio stayed silent, not knowing what to say. Or to be honest, he didn't really want to say anything. He still hasn't decided on how he felt about Erika. She was sweet, but what about her true nature. Yukio knew she was a demon, but is she really who she seems to be or a true beast prepared to kill for no reason?

It seemed like Yukio's students have gathered for the objective Shima was about to do. They were all huddled together- with Rin and Yukio joining them- hiding from Erika. They all watched her and Shima, who was at a careful distance, as he was about to see his chances with her.


	4. Run

After receiving the odd present from the night before, Erika couldn't stop being paranoid about things. It was beginning to become more anomalous when the director of True Cross Academy himself took her out of her class just to speak to her. And it was about Sakura Takahashi, her mother.

The package right by her door was a large fan. It seemed like an antique; having a metal frame and a thick folding canvas. It was plain back with small unnoticeable silver patterns on the sides. A decoration isn't something Erika would expect to receive from a mysterious caller.

She kept thinking about it as she hurried to the lunch room. But she noticed footsteps were rushing to catch up to her. The steps were at a distance but she stopped and turned around. It was Shima who tried acting like he was minding his own business. But Erika knew better. She was getting a lot of boys who follow her just to ask her out. She always found the gesture sweet; however she doesn't really know what to do in a relationship. She never had friends except spirits. Most spirits didn't really enjoy having a close relationship with a teenage human girl.

"Hey, Erika," he greets with his hands buried in his pockets.

"Shima," she muttered. "I think you more of a friend rather than a boyfriend-"

"I haven't even asked you anything!" he mumbled.

"But you were going to, am I right?" she retorted. "I've seen you approach girls the same way… Actually, I've seen plenty of other guys do the same thing. So it's not surprise… I'll see you in Culture and Religion's class this afternoon… Take care, and say hi to your friends for me!"

Erika waved at the group of people behind the shrubbery and hurried to get away from Shima. She decided it was a rude way of avoiding the confrontation, but she really wanted answers. Erika has always thought about problems for a long time rather than ask another person for advice.

She was buried in her thoughts to notice that a woman was in front of her, causing another collision. _Not again,_ she thought. Erika felt a little embarrassed bumping into everyone lately, first Yukio, now a red headed woman.

The woman looked a bit confused, as if she was lost. Erika wasn't surprise if she was; the woman's get up wasn't really allowed to be worn on campus, or anywhere else but the beach. She was wearing a bikini top and shorts, as if wanting to attract attention to her marked body. From her chest to her stomach was a violet symbol. Her white scarf was more of an ascot; small around her neck. Her red hair was tied back with the tips bleached blonde.

"I'm sorry ma'am," Erika began.

She was surprised when the woman began to laugh. "Don't be so polite, it annoys me," she muttered. "You have pretty eyes."

"T-thank you," she replied. "I hope I didn't cause you much trouble."

"I just said stop being polite!" she added. "No, you didn't… Looks like you were running away from something; care to share?"

"I'm just in a hurry," she answered. The woman suddenly pushed Erika aside, causing her to fall to the pavement. _The Hell,_ she thought.

When Erika turned around, the woman held a gleaming violet sword. A large shadow was towering over them; having red eyes yet no other features to tell what kind of creature it was. Without a mouth, the creature roared at the two of them.

"Kid, get out of here!" the woman screamed.

More footsteps were rushing to the area, people were running. Erika caught a glimpse of Yukio Okumura with Shima and other classmates she had, even her roommate, Izumo. _Damn it,_ she thought. Erika picked herself up and hurried out of the scene, not having a proper destination was the problem.

She realized Mephisto probably sent that creature. Not only was he technically a friend of the Vatican, but he was also a Demon King. Erika wanted to go to her dorm and calm herself down, but she'd be hounded by other creatures. She could feel her ears sharpening, as well as her senses.

Erika ended up in her dorm, selecting a few items to take with her. _Am I really going to run away?_ It was an odd thought. The reason she went here was to get away from her uncle, who wouldn't stop raising her as the heiress of his publishing company. She was expected of many things back with her Aunt and Uncle, something she'd rather not go through again.

With a few extra clothes, her iPod (with earphones), her phone, a book, a pen, and cash, she headed to the train station. She decided on going to her old home: the old Shinto Temple where her mother wanted to raise her, where Erika first encountered exorcists and spirits.

_Mephisto is willing to kill me,_ she thought. Erika had no idea if she'll be returning to True Cross Town. If she runs away, she won't be receiving any support from her family. But if she stayed, there was a possibility that exorcists would be after her; not to mention the demons that Mephisto had under his control.

The trolley arrived less than five minutes. A lot of people got off while only a few entered the cars. She began to try and calm herself down; trying to slow down her heart rate. She was taught at a young age that anger and panic brought out her demonic heritage. So she kept herself calm, trying to meditate in the speeding locomotive.

Erika began thinking it over. What was the benefit of Erika being in the academy? What did Mephisto want with her? Her past was already covered up, away from the horrible truth that will always follow her. A sigh escaped her lips: she was no good at being a tactician or reading other people's intentions.


	5. The Truth?

The creature was quickly taken out by Shura. She put away her demon sword and slowly walked toward the group. "I just got back from the Vatican, and how dare you let that girl get chased by a demon?!"

"It just appeared," Shima excused. "It popped out of the manhole and started chasing after Erika."

"Erika," she muttered. "Sounds familiar…"

A small white dog appeared. It had an exorcist's pin around its neck, and its tail wagging violently. Shura took the small gaudy envelope in its mouth. She opened it and read it quickly, then passing it on to Yukio.

"New orders," Shura began. "Erika was her name, the girl with gray eyes, right?"

The group nodded. Yukio placed the envelope in his pocket and pushed back his glasses. "I'll catch up to you in a few, I need to change into proper attire and get the proper equipment."

"Exwires, just follow me," Shura added. "Let your teacher get dolled up for a hunt."

Yukio gritted his teeth at the comment but didn't say anything.

"She's my roommate," Izumo began. "We should check the dorm first… She seems to spend a lot of time in there."

Yukio went the opposite direction of the group. The dog seemed to be following him as he hurried to change into his exorcising attire.

"As much as I'd like to prevent it myself, I received orders from the higher ups," the dog was saying. "We have to execute her."

"What makes you think I care?" he lied.

"I thought you'd particularly care for this girl," he muttered. "I know you know she's a hybrid like you. To be honest, I thought you'd feel a connection if anything. You two have Demon Kings' blood, potent and powerful than most."

"But she doesn't have the signs, she's more human than me or Rin," he argued.

"True, she could keep it at bay compared to you and your brother," Mephisto went on. "But its plenty reason for the Vatican to eradicate her."

"Can't you do anything about it?" Yukio added.

"I'm still thinking about it," he said with a twisted tone. "What about you? Will you do as the Vatican say and kill her?"

Yukio didn't say anything but he was furious about the question. She was an honest girl, nicer than most. She could be anything, but a demon definitely wouldn't be one of the categories to place her in.

When he finally got his pistols and his large trench coat, he hurried to catch up with the others. He didn't know where else to look and the dorm room was as good of a lead as any. He was glad to find the others still examining the place.

"She took a bag with her, and several things," Izumo explained. "But I didn't know her enough to know where she'd go to."

"Erika sure does like to read," Konekamaru muttered.

"She already read the whole first shelf and was planning on getting more during the next break," Izumo added. "She even read my textbooks on demonology."

"Erika… What's her last name?" Shura asked. "That name is bugging me like crazy…"

"Takahashi… I think," Izumo answered.

Shura's eyes widened. "Sakura-san's only child!" she screamed. "How could I forget?"

"You knew her mother?" Yukio added.

"I was traveling around Tokyo with Shiro!" she screamed. "That little girl who didn't like anything! That was her! Why are we chasing after her? I thought she would've followed her mother's footsteps as a priestess."

"According to the order, she's a threat of becoming a demon," Yukio explained. "So the plan is to execute her immediately."

The room was silent. Shura's face turned from a calm expression to filling up with fury. "Did Mephisto order this?! I'm going to strangle him! Sure Erika's a brat, but if anything he should be eradicated for being a demon too!"

"Do you know the story?" Rin asked. "Why she's turning into a demon?"

"She's just like you and four eyes," she answered. "But Sakura figured out a way to keep her demonic powers away… It seemed to last long after her death."

"Tell us the story," Bon said with curiosity. "Looks like you're not special after all, being a child of demon, Okumura."

Shura sighed. "According to Shiro, Sakura Takahashi surprisingly fell in love with a mysterious man. They were happy together and all that, especially after the news of her pregnancy. But the man decided to reveal his true identity of being a demon. So Sakura left him. She was a committed exorcist and was embarrassed about the fact that she fell in love with demon…

"She couldn't drop the baby. Sakura knew it'd be against her own morals, even if it would grow up to be a demon… She raised her in the temple; teaching her to meditate, memorize chants, and keep her safe from the demon within herself. Sakura figured that as long as the kid's at peace, the demon inside would be too. Sakura died during one of her missions when Erika was nine.

"Erika was sent off to her Aunt and Uncles, who didn't want her to do any of the rituals her mother taught. Probably ticked her off and started noticing the changes. Erika got bored easily; she mastered things too quickly, making her a pain in the ass… But she shouldn't be killed, she's more human that hot head over here."

"Do you think she'll end up at the temple?" Konekamaru asked. "You said that's where she was raised to find her peace. It's possible she's trying to find that same peace her mother left her with."

"That'd be dangerous," Izumo argued. "A demon visiting a temple, it's suicide."

"No, Yukio and I were raised in a church, and we're free to go there anytime," Rin retorted.

"Then it's decided, we're going to the Shinto Temple," Shura announced with a wide smile plastered on her face.


	6. Demon Kings

She arrived in Tokyo in less than twenty minutes. But Erika got a good start on the book she took, _Alice in Wonderland,_ by Lewis Carroll.

_I should've changed,_ she thought. No, she had a better idea. Erika hurried over to the nearest convenient store. She didn't plan on spending her money as soon as she left the town, but she was just glad her Aunt always sent extra. It was a little pricey but she bought a bottle of hair dye removal and a box of red hair dye.

The black color was already wearing off but she might as well change her whole hair color. She used the closest public bathroom. She made sure to lock the entire place so no one else can enter. She didn't want anyone seeing her odd features.

Erika's true hair color was white. Some might consider it blonde, but it truly was white as white as white can get. She has been dying her hair since she could remember, since the hair color was too unnatural. It attracted too much attention and too many weird stares. She applied the dye and sat herself up on the covered trashcan as she waited for the color to stick. Erika washed off the excess and used the hand dryer to blow dry her hair: now a nice shade of auburn red.

With her hair changed, she put on a new set of clothes from the white dress to a plain black hoodie and jeans. She didn't bring any other pair of shoes, so the sandals she was wearing was her only option. She placed her hood over her head, grabbed her things, and headed to the temple.

The day drastically changed. It was a sunny day from the time she left the Academy at noon, but the clouds began to appear, and the wind was picking up. She would've taken another train, but she'd rather take the side streets and the small alley ways.

Erika wanted to ignore the fact that she was being followed. _They couldn't have already found me,_ she thought. She ran to the nearest crowd, hoping to lose him. But the figure continued to follow. She found herself in a park, with only herself walking the path. No one else seemed to be around. Until footsteps got too close to her, as if someone was towering over her.

She turned around to find a tall slender man with swept back bright blonde hair. He wore a gray suit with a black tie. His hands were in his pockets, and his eyes were like silver: glittering and reflective. A small grin was on his face, as if laughing at Erika.

Erika had no weapon or anything like that. She balled her hands to a fist and kept them at her side. The man's smile got wider seeing her hands.

"No need for fighting, Erika," the man said in a calm tone. "Do you know who I am?"

She nodded. It was uncanny that they shared same eerie natural features, explaining only one thing. Erika never met anyone who had her eyes, or her natural hair color- there was no resemblance with her mother. This man was her father.

"Why are you here?" she asked. Erika was beginning to shake, but her eyes were filling up with anger.

"You're no longer safe in Assiah," he explained. "I want to take you to Gehenna, where you'll be accepted by your kin. I know they'll kill you here…"

"I don't want to be a demon!" she screamed. She could feel adrenaline all over her body.

"But you can't run away from who you are," he muttered. "I thought your mother would teach you that of all things…"

Erika's emotions were swelling up. Her mother, the woman who died for… "Why did you come to Assiah in the first place?! It'd be a whole lot better if I didn't exist. Mom would've lived…"

"Your existence has nothing to do with the accident," he argued.

"You don't know either," Erika whispered. She sighed and paused, deciding whether to tell the truth or not. "I killed her that night…"

The man's eyes widened, but he was not angry. His face read disappointment but he stayed silent. "Were you the demon she was trying to exorcise?"

"Of course not, she loved me too much," she answered. "I was protecting that very demon. My instincts want to save the spirits and the demons. I ended turning into the demon I didn't want to be, and killed her…"

"This just proves you're not meant to be human," he argued. "I know spirits are very affectionate to you."

"You are the king of spirits, of course they'll be fond of me," she gritted. Erika could feel her teeth sharpening. This conversation was already getting her pissed."Who else is going to protect them when no one would give these spirits a chance? I'm more like them than a true human being."

He was silent for a moment, but a warm smile emerged across his face. "You need to calm down," he began. "You don't want to be growing a tail in the middle of a park."

The man put an arm around her shoulders and began to walk, forcing Erika to pace herself faster. "What are you doing?" she demanded.

"Since you're so willing to stay here, I'd like to spend some needed time with my daughter," he answered.

It was an odd feeling for Erika. She always imagined her father being a cold hearted man. In all honesty, she thought he'd be similar to Mephisto, but he was the complete opposite. Azazel, the King of Spirits and Wind, was unlike any other Demon King.


End file.
